Gurgaon: An auto-rickshaw driver, who was hit near a mall here by a speeding SUV after unidentified gunmen opened fire at it, died on Wednesday.

The incident took place this morning when four gunmen in a car opened fire on the gangster, Rakesh Yadav, who was driving an SUV at Mehrauli-Gurgaon (MG) road.

Yadav was on his way to a court, police said.

In his bid to escape bullets, the driver rammed his car into three other vehicles. Images from the accident site showed two toppled cars. One auto-rickshaw was also completely smashed in the accident.

Unofficial sources claimed that the auto-rickshaw driver was hit by a bullet.

Yadav, 40, escaped unhurt in firing but was injured after his speeding car collided with the auto-rickshaw, a police officer said. The driver of Yadav's car, however, suffered a bullet injury in his head.

Yadav managed to escape from the car and took shelter in nearby Times Tower Flats on busy MG road. He has been admitted to a private hospital.

"The assailants fled the spot, our investigation is on," a police officer said.

Yadav is the main accused in the killing of Rakesh Kumar Yadav, the sarpanch (village head) of Hayatpur village.

Meanwhile, the police have announced a Rs 50,000 reward for information on the shooters.

Panic spread on a busy stretch of arterial MG Road after the incident, which has put a question mark on the security situation in the fast developing IT hub.

The accident led to a massive traffic jam on the road during the morning rush hour.